Snow Flower
by Thordis Valentina
Summary: Following a devastating situation wherein the men of a village had begun to disappear in masses, Shippou manipulates the Yuki Onna into aiding him on his quest to uncover the truth.


This is a project written for the sake of "That Time Again." It's an Inuyasha fanfiction contest located in the lovely home of Deviant Art (I go by the alias of "Valenziya"). Our topic was supposed to be "Filler Characters" wherein we take a character that doesn't appear in the manga and rewrite his/her story so that it sounds better than the original.

Originally being a prompt, I didn't want to post this on "Fanfiction dot net" because I like to keep them to myself. But I guess I got curious and wanted to know how the community here would take my rendering of an older Shippou. So here it is ready for your eyes as well.

This is intended to be a one-shot, and I will not be extending it to a multiple chapter story.

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**Snow Flower**

_Thordis Valentina_

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**Rating:** K+ - nothing explicit here. :)

**Genre:** Adventure/Mystery

**Pairings:** N/A

**Summary:** Following a devastating situation wherein the men of a village had begun to disappear in large amounts, Shippou manipulates the Yuki Onna into his quest to uncover the truth.

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A frozen path cut through the serene landscape. It stretched lazily amid the rolling snow-covered hills, curving graciously over an argent ribbon of ice then vanishing into the misty mountain range. There was a light veil of snow that fell from the colorless sky landing softly on the shoulders of a lone figure that slowly made his way down the trail.

Much of his features lay hidden beneath the shade of his straw hat save for the very tip of his nose, which glowed raw pink against the gelid temperature. At first glance he appeared to be quite the ordinary passerby dressed in a simple black winter kimono. But when an icy gale blew cruelly against him a trail of auburn ribbon flickered out glistening despite the absence of the sun like a proud banner. The strange man lifted his chin and tilted his straw hat back with a clawed hand to catch a better view of the cold path to reveal a pair of startling green eyes—a feature that was next to impossible for any standard Japanese.

He continued to prod down the wet trail his booted feet crunching with perfect cadence against the piling snow as he marched through the cold weather. A trail of visible mist wafted between his mouth rising up against the colorless landscape and quickly fading from sight.

When he reached the banks of the frozen stream he paused: assessing his current position. Hulks of grey steppingstones jutting from a thick layer of ice added to the hazy cold atmosphere. Aided by a thin coat of glittering frost the scenery was calm and hauntingly beautiful. He squinted past the brim of his hat through the thick curtain of swirling flurries that was beginning to fall faster.

Beyond the small expanse of the protruding rocks, he caught a blurry figure in the distance. Despite the steadily decreasing weather conditions, it was making its way gracefully towards him. His highly sensitive ears picked the gentle shuffling of feet over the blankets of white. The young man tipped his hat back with the tip of his forefinger and gazed long and hard into the now blinding whiteness.

As the shadowy blur neared him, it gradually became clearer and clearer now taking on the form of a very beautiful woman. Her long charcoal hair spilled off her shoulders and well past her back like a great length of black silk spinning and dancing with the tempest.

Watching the woman's willowy figure, he felt as though a small flame had grown from the recesses of his mind—as though he had seen and met her some time ago. Yet, many years had gone by since his days of early childhood. His days when he traveled with friends on an epic journey to vanquish the tainted evil surrounding an elusive pink jewel was nothing more than a faded piece of silk, precious but frayed at the edges ready to crumble to dust from age.

"Excuse me, kind sir—" The soft velvety voice of a woman spoke up, pulling the young man from his thoughts. He lowered his hand and his straw hat slid down an inch to shield his eyes from view again. "Correct me if I am wrong, but it would seem to me that you have lost your way."

Tilting his head on an angle, the young man regarded her with slight amusement. She was very beautiful in the face—almost dangerously seductive—with her ivory-pale skin contrasting sharply with her scarlet lips. The youthful man tilted his head to the side and processed her inquiry. The scent of the air was slightly different in the most disturbing way. Despite her calm façade he knew she was dangerous.

"Indeed I am quite lost," He lied, lips curved forming a sly smirk while mentally adding: _'Heh, a fox? Lost? The sun would be rising in the west and sinking in the east before _that_ ever happened.'_ With a light pat her blanche kimono the woman gave him a little smile before stepping off to the side as through clearing him a path. Lifting a hand to brush away her dark bangs, the woman gazed up at the clogged sky.

"There seems to be a storm brewing. Would it not be bothersome if you accompanied me until it passed?" For a moment neither breathed a word and all that could be heard was the wailing of the wind. The young man took her suggestion into consideration with a rub of his chin between his thumb and forefinger. After much contemplation agreed with a short nod of his head. "A wise choice, please follow me." Quirking him a serene smile, she turned and started on her way.

They set off over the rolling hills, through great plots of land, and across many rivers until they were in a forest of pine trees whose branches knitted closely together so that not a flake of the wild flurries touched the dull amber needle-littered ground. He caught a glimpse of a small clearing just ahead where the thick foliage thinned out. The two of them burst onto the clearing just in time to catch a small three-jou hut.

A thick layer of snow covered its thatched roof like a great white quilt, but the shoji had been torn out of their tracks and lay broken on the cold ground. Wood around one corner had begun to rot and there lay a gapping hole just large enough for a boar to fit in. Ugly dead vines, brown and shriveled, crawled up the sides choking a good part of the hovel.

The woman paused by the entrance and gracefully peeled back the sleeves of her kimono to pull the broken screen back with amazing fluidity. "Please my dear traveler make yourself at home."

'_And this woman expects me to crawl into that mess?' _He shook his head carefully so that the female youkai did not see it and quickly scrambled past her, stepping into the cold darkened room. Bowing once, the woman disappeared while he untied the ribbon under his chin removed his protective hat.

Inside the hut was completely bare, save for an empty hearth. There were no signs that anyone had lived in this broken shack for ages now. Setting down his sparse possessions—his hat and his sword—the young man seated himself on the edge of the upraised platform, not bothering to remove his shoes. He reached across and brushed the tip of his fingers over the bone-dry frame and watched the bits of snow travel down the gaping hole in the ceiling.

Once more, the screen was gently pulled back and the woman stepped into the dying wood. She held in her arms a great rusting kettle the color of night, which sported a twisted spout. When she took notice of his brilliant auburn mane and his pointed ears, she froze in her tracks.

"If you wanted to fool a youkai, then perhaps you ought to put up something better than this." As a response to his words he casually knocked on the saturnine wood beneath him.

The woman who was just stepping in after him froze, her hazel eyes locking with his own virescent ones. Pausing mid-stride one hand resting on the doorframe she carefully set the old pot on the dusty floor by her feet.

"Tell me then," She began slowly, "Who and what are you?"

"Shippou is my name," He began with a tantalizing nod of his head followed by a charming wink, "And I don't believe it is necessary for me to reveal _what_ I am, for you can find that out quite easily on your own."

Though her eyes remained eerily calm, but there was a new ruthless glint to them that set Shippou on his toes. The corners of her rouged lips curved up to form an enigmatic simper. "Of course," She began her voice soft and rich and smooth, "How could I have been so foolish? My illusions have little effect in the eyes of a fox."

His initial trepidation of the woman quickly faded and Shippou smirked revealing the very tip of his glinting fang. "Hear, hear! That was a rather quick revelation, don't you think? Speaking of which, I have yet to learn your name. You need not to tell me what you are, though. I can tell simply by looking at you; for there is no human woman who can compete with your beauty."

"Oh my, how poetic! Do you believe you can charm me with your honeyed words?" The woman lifted her hand and hid a crooked smile behind her lips eyes glittering with unveiled distain. A self-secretive smile formed on Shippou's lips. He took up his hat but made no move to put it on. Holding up his free hand, the mononoke held his gaze on the woman opposite from him as he his raised a single forefinger.

"Ah yes, fancy words for a beautiful woman. I must be careful to fashion each syllable with great care to match her fragile frame and smooth them out like the tenderness of her skin—wouldn't you like to know why I am here?"

"If you are that eager to tell me then I don't see why not."

Pausing slightly, Shippou trained a serious eye on the ethereal woman before him, his mirth dropping with such velocity it was almost as if he had merely swapped with a completely different entity. "There has been stories circulating in a small village yonder the mountain which we see in the eastern distance." He cocked his head to the side as if to scrutinize her reaction.

When the woman's countenance remained completely passive, the mononoke nodded at a screen of white. Eyes belonging to that of normal human beings could not capture the raging summit that punctured the thick clouds, nor could they catch the minute details of the naked trees and peppering its behemoth sides.

"You are the yuki onna, no? The glittering eye of perfection, a woman who is deceptively serene to hide a ruthless murderer beneath the folds of that beautiful silk kimono and that smooth skin of hers… I have heard stories regarding a youkai of your caliber."

The yuki onna's lips parted, her impeccably sculpted eyes widening slightly as the thought dawned on her. "You don't mean to tell me that _you_ are willing to work as a slave to those filthy creatures? You who is just as much of a youkai as am I?"

Shippou did not answer outright, evading the woman's question with words heavily laced in the magic-mystery and double meanings befit only to the most cunning of foxes. "The lands of Ezo have been suffering as of late: I've noted the steep decline in population. When I came to rest at that tiny village it rather odd that—aside from the children and the village elder—it's population was largely dominated by women. Naturally a man such as myself couldn't have been happier, but I found it strange nonetheless.

"Conclusively, I questioned the village elder regarding the predicament and he supplied me with an interesting tale," He had not removed his eyes from the small opening of the sliding door and nodded at it again, "A story about how all the men who wander into the mountains never return. You wouldn't know what happened to them now would you?"

"And how should I know?" The yuki onna catechized, her eyes narrowing slightly and lips pressing into a thin line. "I have absolutely nothing to do with this village you speak of and have no desire to meddle with such low creatures."

"Oh?" A delicate eyebrow disappeared beneath Shippou's grossy bangs. He carefully bent down and tapped his hat three times to shake the remaining snow off it. "That is quite strange, especially as you would lead me to such ruined hut. I was given the impression that you mistook me as a human and led me here to take my life with your icy kiss of death. That is what the yuki onna does to misfortunate travelers, is it not?"

Delicate laughter broke the heavy silence that hung above the two of them. "You are too cruel to place such suspicions on a helpless woman, Shippou-san."

"Ah, so it was merely a fairytale then? The heart-wrenching story of the yuki onna falling in love with a human and bearing him ten children—five little girls and five little boys—only to come to the startling realization that her love had been betrayed when he opened his mouth and uttered a secret he had promised to keep so long ago?"

"Shippou-san, you do realize that you are in the province of Ezo? It is the period of winter where snowstorms rage and many people who wander turn to icy corpses in the mountains. This disappearance of men that your village speaks of is a natural phenomenon."

"It is clear that you're pitting the blame of mass disappearance on something as simple the weather. Well, if you claim to be innocent, yuki onna, would you do me the greatest favor in aiding me on a small quest to track down the true culprit?"

"Up until now I have been living on my own in mountains, never meddling with the lives of these filthy humans. What is it that makes you believe that I would agree to assisting you on this ridiculous wild goose chase?"

"Because you would do it to prove your innocence. By refusing me I could easily mistaken you as the cause behind this web of odd occurrences and promptly kill you on the spot. Therefore, the only option you have left is to accept my humble request. After all, you are the youkai who dominates this region and hence would be far more familiar to it than I am. As you can see, Onna-san, I require a guide to lead me to the heart of the problem. So then, what is your answer?"

"Clever as expected, Shippou-san. Your intelligence seems unnatural even among your own kind."

"I take that as a 'yes' then?" The woman said nothing. But her answer was as clear as a cloudless day when she stepped away from the door, the hem of her silken robes fluttering with unrivaled grace. A satisfied smile worked its way onto Shippou's face. He lifted his broad cone-shaped hat on his red locks, taking special care to brush his long ponytail in a more comfortable position. "By the way, you never gave me your name?"

"That will not be necessary."

"Why is that? Don't tell me that your name is 'Yuki Onna' for that is quite a peculiar name."

"Indeed. Yuki Onna is merely an appellation."

"How shall I address you then? Surely there is a more suitable name for one as lovely such as yourself."

A gentle laugh: soothing and melodious yet poisonous all the same.

"You are charming Shippou-san. I do not have a name, but feel free to call me Nayobi."

"Nayobi, huh? What an odd name. It doesn't seem to signify anything at all."

"It is a pseudonym."

Shippou started but recovered quickly replacing his lackluster gaze with a winning smile. "Of course."

Moving fluidly, Nayobi moved out of dying hut and led Shippou into the blinding storm. Her face remained impassively placid expertly concealing the dark secret that lay hidden within the comforting folds of her memories. Foxes were wily creatures that possessed magic and strength that far surpassed her own. In order to defeat and kill the man that casually trailed after her, she had to work around his intelligence and trap him in his place.

Nayobi usually spared youkai, but if anyone steeled him or herself—regardless of their race—within the way of her vengeful wrath, she would stop at nothing to take their life.

The pain that the humans had wrought upon her dug too deep and stung her very soul. She was angry… no, _furious _with the advantage they had taken on her. They had forgotten that aside for her beautiful tranquility lay something so terrible it would send even other youkai trembling at her feet. Did they not forget her ruthlessness, her cold anger, and the terrors she brought upon those to defied her? Humans were fools.

A smug little smile worked its way onto her pearlescent features. It was indeed a pity that she once loved such vapid fools. The wretched creatures that made a foolery out of her would pay dearly for what they have done.

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**Addendum:** I know that a lot of people tend to put an adult-version of Shippou in a bigger version of the clothes he wears now, but I thought the nut-print haori of his was a bit too childish for him now. Another major trait of most "Adult Shippous" is that he tends to have fox feet. Contrary to most others, I gave him human feet because, well, he's a fox—a master of transformation in the realm of Japanese mythological creatures—and he's a pretty advanced one in comparison to his own kind (see chapters 505 and 506 of the manga for confirmation).

Getting back on track, I put him in something very simple (black Kimono for the winter). Not sure what Shippou's main weapon of choice in Burden of the Fox would be—might go for a naginata or a double-ended spear—but since he seems to look up to Inuyasha to a certain extent, I gave him a sword in this one.


End file.
